Third consecutive success for Thonon and CRG at the KZ1

It was a great demonstration of power the one carried out by  Thonon and  his team-mates  together  with  all  the technicians of  the  Italian Company    who  well deserved  to  celebrate  the World  title  which  was strongly chased and desired.Thonon’s  weekend improved  always  more  till the final apotheosis, and the Belgian driver showed his great determination and his fantastic driving ability especially with the decisive overtakings on the difficult track of Sarno where he furthermore displayed his great professionalism.
Thonon in  the end conquered a  well deserved  success to which all  his competitors had to bow. He first started  the  prefinal from the 9th place,  then  he  reached the  4t  place  with  a  great comeback.
Then  there  was  a  further excellent  recovery  in  the Final  where  Thonon  has  also won  with  the  fastest lap  of the  race.
His  team-mates made  very  good performances too, in spite of the  final  result  which  didn’t  award  them  for  the  hard work  done  during  the weekend.
The  French  “Koko”  Arnaud Kozlinski  finished  5th after having  suffered  for  two  days  a  strong
physical  debilitation,  while  Davide  For. and  the  American  Gary  Carlton were forced  to  withdraw:  they  were  anyway protagonists  since  the  qualifying  heats including  the  qualification  heats  and  the
Pre-final.
The  only  one  who  wasn’t  able  to  reach the Final was Luca Tilloca, at his very first important  race,  due  to  several competitive  troubles  in  the  heats  even after  his  brilliant  qualifying  heats  where
he reached a good 13th best time.
Unlucky  race  also  for  the  British  Oliver Rowland,  world  champion  2008  of  the KF2 category,  at his debut in the  shifter  class  with  the  LHchassis  produced  by  CRG. Rowland wasn’t  able  to  find
the  right  feeling,  he  couldn’t carry  on  a  good  qualifying session  which  meant  always
starting  from  the  backrow, he  missed  the  final  phase only by an hair's breadth. 
The  KF3  World  Cup  which took  place  during  the  same weekend  was  excellent  and beyond any expectation.
The  young Rumanian  Robert Visoiu who  definitely reached  a  very  competitive level  after  a  year  of
apprenticeship made  a sensational performance.
He  started  with  the  8th time  in  the qualifying  then  he  launched  himself  into the qualification heats always fighting for the  first  positions  and  he  also  lead  the group  several  times.  Visoiu had  then  an
accident in Pre-final when he was among the leaders and this stopped his hopes for the victory.
He ran very well in the Final recovering up to the 18th place being at the beginning in the  last  position.
The  young  Finnish Matias  Koykka raced  very  well  too reaching  the  16th  place  after  recovering
the 11 positions lost during the initial  row which is quite common in this category.
Among  the  private  drivers  with  CRG chassis  in  KZ1  the  best  results  were gained  by  the  Dutch  Jorrit Pex  from CRG Holland who conquered the 9th position in
the final.
The other Dutch Danny Bleek of Renda  Motorsport  arrived  17th while  the Croat  Kristijan  Habulin of  KK1  Team ended at place 22nd.

THE INTERVIEWS
Giancarlo Tinini, President of C.R.G. S.p.A.: “Thonon showed all his competitive force
at  the  right  moment.  We  knew  we  had  some  more  margin  and  everything  went
according to our expectations. We won a World Title once again, the most important
event of the season, thanks to everybody’s work and to Thonon himself who made a
great  performance.  For.  could  have  conquered  the  podium  too  but  he  had  a
technical  problem  in  the  Final.  “Koko”  raced  OK  but  he  had  a  physical  problem  on
Saturday  that  prevented  him  to  drive  at  his  best.  His  season  had  started  with  a
different  engine  solution,  then  there  was  the  passage  to  the  current  one  which  is
winning  at  the  moment  with  the  engine  tuner  Savard.    Of  course  the  fact  of  not
having prepared the equipment during the  first  part of  the season didn’t help him. Gary Carlton  did  very
well in the Pre-final before somebody crashed into him then the back lines of the Final penalized him. He
was really unlucky but I saw a great Gary in the Pre-final while he was recovering positions together with
Thonon and For.. Tilloca would have conquered the Final but he was damaged by the lack of experience.
His debut was anyway positive. In KF3 Visoiu made his best race of the year, finally I saw him much more
confident than he was before.  Koykka did well too, unfortunately due to school problems he couldn’t do
his test-drives before the World Championship so it was very difficult for him to run for the first time on the
difficult  track  of Sarno. Every race  of  the weekend saw his improvements and therefore his performance
was very positive.”

Omar Di Gesualdo, CRG Sporting Director: “It has been a great week-end crowned by
the world title of Thonon. We achieved great satisfactions since the beginning of the
event during the  official heats and with the performance of  For.,  Kozlinski, Carlton
and Tilloca. We had to fight to bring home this title, the third title in a row for Thonon
that confirms his superiority. It is a great satisfaction for the whole team. Even in KF3
everything was good, with Visoiu that showed his sportive skills improvements during
his first year in the international racing season. The Romanian driver had a very good
training in CRG. We are also satisfied with the performance of the Finnish Koykka.”

Nico Carigiet, Responsible for Maxter engine: “We have been really satisfied with the
victory  of  Thonon.  This  was a  very  demanding  year  for  us.  Three  Maxter  engines
arrived  among  the  first  six  positions  in  KZ1.  This  is  very  important  also  for  the
confidence showed by our customers.”

Jonathan Thonon: “I am very happy with this results because the weekend was really
hard fought.  I have lost  just one of  the  four manches, so  I had to recover because I
started a bit on the back in  the Pre-final. I was not able to improve as I would have
wanted in the Pre-final because of a crash. In the final I have started from the fourth
position,  but  everything  worked  well.  I  have  competed  during  the  whole  weekend
using my mind, I was very focused in order to reach the final result. I am very happy
for the team, for all the people who helped me to arrive here and for Giancarlo Tinini
who is like a second father for me. I thank all the team. Actually all the elements have
to be at their maximum in order to win: the team, the chassis and the Maxter engine
with Tec-Sav tuning.  After all CRG was the winner together with all the team.”

Davide  For.: “Everything  was  good  during  the  whole  weekend,  I  was  always  in  the
first  positions.  During  the  manches I  have won once and  I  arrived  second  and  third.
Unfortunately I have got a puncture in one manche, so I started from the back rows in
the  Prefinal  concluding  this  really  competitive  race  in  the  sixth  position.  The
connecting rod got unluckily damaged during the Final so I have been forced to leave…
what  a  shame!  I  am  very  sorry.  Nevertheless  I  am  really  satisfied  with  my  kart
performance, I could have reached the podium. At the starting line in the Final there
were three CRG in the first six positions, that means that the equipment is excellent.
After  all I am very happy anyway for Jonathan, Tinini, CRG, Maxter and all  the team
members.”

Arnaud Kozlinski: “I did my best for the team, I tried to help Jonathan fighting with our
competitors, but I was not so fast to achieve a better result of the fifth position. I am a
bit disappointed because I had not the possibility to conquer the podium. Obviously I
did not get the right set-up especially in the engine, despite we made a very good job
in setting-up this weekend.”

Gary  Carlton: “I  had  some  problems  in  the  qualifying  heats,  then  I  did  quite  well
during the manches. In the pre-final  I recovered till  the seventh position, but I have
been clashed and I had to leave. In the Final I recovered again till the seventh position,
then my engine got damaged. What a shame! I could have finished among the first five
positions.  Even  if I was  a  bit  unlucky,  I am quite  satisfied.  The  competition  was  at  a
very  high  level.  I  hope  to  be  confirmed  as  official  driver  by  CRG  next  year  and  to
compete during the whole season.”

Luca Tilloca: “I was not able to qualify myself for the Final stage, I am really sorry. The
qualifying timing was good, but I have been spoiled in the first preliminary heat by the
missing start of the driver ahead. I did well just in one manche where I have achieved
the  seventh  position.  During  the  other  preliminary  heats  I  had  bad  luck  because  of
some other  accidents.  I am sorry  because  I am the  only  CRG  driver who did  not  go
beyond the qualifying heats and most of all I could not return the undertaking and the
confidence showed by CRG and Maxter. I hope to  have the chance  to recover some
time.”

Luca Tilloca: “I was not able to qualify myself for the Final stage, I am really sorry. The
qualifying timing was good, but I have been spoiled in the first preliminary heat by the
missing start of the driver ahead. I did well just in one manche where I have achieved
the  seventh  position.  During  the  other  preliminary  heats  I  had  bad  luck  because  of
some other  accidents.  I am sorry  because  I am the  only  CRG  driver who did  not  go
beyond the qualifying heats and most of all I could not return the undertaking and the
confidence showed by CRG and Maxter. I hope to  have the chance  to recover some
time.”